The Thief (1910)
Sherwin Bramwell, the noted detective, is leaving his apartments, when, in turning into the street walk, be collides with a gentleman coming from the opposite direction. Both are jarred and in the collision the pedestrian's hat is knocked off. Bramwell stoops, recovers the hat, and returns it to its owner with apologies. A he is about to turn away, a flitting expression crosses the stranger's face, which arouses a certain memory in the detective's mind, but he turns away, unable to find a name for the gentleman. This latter carries a cane, is well groomed, and the encounter has proven him courteous and decorous. Some time later, Carlos Montague, alias "Crafty Nick," our gentleman of the cane, enters his bachelor apartments in a fashionable hotel and makes ready to attend an evening reception at one of the homes of the New York Smart Set. Later, arrayed in evening clothes, he takes his cane, looks at his watch and hurries out. We next return Bramwell, who has returned from his walk and who immediately endeavors to find some clue to identify the man whom he had encountered as he left his house. After a search through his collection of photographs of famous rogues he comes upon the one he is searching for, the photograph of Carlos Montague, "diamond thief suspect." We are next shown a scene at the reception where Montague is ushered in and introduced by Mrs. Roberts, the hostess, to her friends who have never met him. However, there are many there who have met him and it is clearly evident that the gentleman has a firm foothold in society. During the course of the evening Mrs. Roberts, upon the request of certain curious friends, opens a cabinet containing relics and curious, explaining the history of each article. Among these is a stiletto cane with a gruesome history. After the examination of the curios is through Mrs. Roberts excuses herself to her friends to go to her room and wash her hands. Montague is standing near as she dusts her hands and notes the array of rings on the lady's lingers. A quick thought, and, watching his chance, he slips quietly out after her and hurries cautiously up the stair to his hostess' chamber. There she arrives and removes the rings, placing them on her dressing table. As she disappears into the adjoining room, Montague steals into the room, hides behind a portiere near the dressing table and at the opportune moment snatches the jewels and hurries out. The discovery of the robbery is made a moment later when Mrs. Roberts returns. Frantically she and the maid search the room, then, cautioning silence, she hurriedly descends the stairs, calls her daughter and this latter's fiancée aside and tells them of the robbery. The young man advises that they communicate with Bramwell. Bramwell, in answer to the 'phone call, promises to go to them immediately and a few minutes later he and his assistant are at the place and in consultation with Mrs. Roberts. Bramwell sees the thief in the crowd and immediately concludes that he has the jewels. Then reveals his identity and asks permission to search the gentlemen guests. Montague is left to the last, but a thorough search of the clothes of the thief fails to reveal the rings. Discouraged, Bramwell waves them off and paces the room vainly striving to locate the jewels. Absent-mindedly he picks up the stiletto cane from a chair where it was placed by the hostess, unscrews the top and brings out the stiletto. A sudden thought flashes through his mind as he recalls the cane carried by Montague. The jewels must be concealed in the cane! The crowd returns and Bramwell calls Montague aside. A moment of conversation, each of the two men working warily around the subject of the cane. Finally Bramwell brings out the photograph of the "diamond thief suspect" and follow up its exhibition with a direct accusation that Mrs. Roberts' rings are concealed in the hollow of Montague's cane. Montague, with a cry of rage, raises the cane to strike, but it is wrenched from his hands and Bramwell coolly unscrews the top and rolls the jewels out into his palm. A moment later the defeated thief bows his adieu to the guests and goes out with a policeman, while Bramwell returns the jewels to Mrs. Roberts and bids her and her guests good-evening.
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Domestic
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International
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Worldwide
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GenresDrama
Short
IMDbPro
See more details at IMDbPro
| Filmmakers | Role |
|---|---|
| Tom Ricketts | Director |
| Cast | Role |
|---|---|
| Brinsley Shaw | |
| Marshall Stedman |
